Contact information

Auctioneers & Appraisers:

 

Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc.

250 Commercial St., Ste. 3011

Manchester, NH 03101 USA

Tel. 603-627-7383 Fax. 603-627-7384

web-site: www.amoskeagauction.com

Email: gallery@amoskeagauction.com

 

Bonhams and Butterfields

220 San Bruno Ave.

San Francisco, CA 94103 USA

Tel. 415-861-7500 Fax. 415-861-8951

e-mail: james.ferrell@bonhams.com

web-site: www.bonhams.com

 

James D. Julia

Fairfield, Maine

  1. R. LaRue (Firearms) 866-527-4440

P.O. Box 2133, Cody, WY 82414

Email: jrlarue@vcn.com

Website: www.juliaauctions.com

 

Appraisers and Gun Values:

 

Blue Book Publications

8009 34th Ave. South, Suite 175

Minneapolis, MN 55425

Tel. 952-854-5229

Fax 952-853-1486

bluebook@bluebookinc.com

Gun Clubs and Collectors Associations

ASSRA

Gun Values

 

Blue Book  

The “Blue Book of Gun Values”

This 2,320 page reference book is a must have for the serious collector. Although the guns that you, our members, are mostly collecting are not all represented in this book, it lists values of most guns from the world’s gun makers in great detail and by condition of the gun.

It lists the guns of over 30 German gun makers, eight of them with only a short description of the maker and their guns, but with some listings of values of guns by the following other makers:

Anschuetz

Bergman-Lignose

Bergman

Blaser

Daly, Charles

Dreyse Pistols

ERMA

Ern, Max

Feunwerkbau

Greifelt

Haenel

Heym

Hoenig

Kleinguenther

Krico

Krieghoff

Mauser

Merkel

Ortgies Pistols

Prechtl

SIG

Walther

On the first 102 pages you will find helpful information for the collector and the user of the Blue Book as well as interesting articles by well know writers.

Blue Book Publications also publishes the “Blue Book of Airguns” for air rifle collectors and listings of the German air rifle makers.

For more information about these books call: 800-877-4867

 

For those of you who have questions about a specific gun or want a gun appraised, get in touch with John Allen at Blue Book Publications, 8009  34th. Ave.South, Suite 175, Minneapolis, MN 55425, Tel.952-854-5229

Fax 952-853-1486

E-mail: bluebook@bluebookinc.com

Web site: http://www:bluebookinc.com                                       June 2012

 

 

Buying or selling a German Gun

When buying a German gun one should use the same good common sense as when buying any make gun. Here are a few thoughts about the subject:

One of the questions asked all the time is what a gun is worth and whether it is a good investment. Rarely can we give a definite answer and suggest that you ask yourself whether you really like the gun and would really like to own it. Nobody can take away your pleasure in owning it, even if you paid more for the gun than you intended. If, on the other hand you bought a gun because of its low price alone, you might be bothered by its shortcomings as long as you own it.

The following contact information of is given without any recommendations.

http://www.gunsamerica.com a listing service

http://www.gunsinternational.com a listing service

http://www.gunbroker.com an auction format

http://www.auctionarms.com an auction format

http://www.doublegunshop.com in their ‘Classified’ section

http://forums.nitroexpress.com in their ‘Classified’ section

http://www.accuratereloading.com in their ‘Classified’ section

The above listings are given to assist you and give you options but do not imply that we recommend these over others. Any sale or advice is strictly between you and the service provider without any liability on our part.

 

What to look for when buying a used gun

If you are looking for a gun by a certain maker or for a certain type of gun and find it, inspect it carefully. If on the other hand your mind is wide open, follow your first impression and don’t get carried away by the thought that a gun must be worth much more than the asking price. The danger is particularly great when you go to an auction. One of my grandfather’s Dreilaufflinte (three barrel shotgun) was for sale at an auction. Since this gun was missing in the collection of my grandfather’s guns, I was really tempted. But it was in terrible condition, and this would have just bothered me without end. I passed it up. If you see a gun you would really like to own, look very critically what might be wrong with it. You may still want the gun but won’t have unpleasant surprises and unexpected expenses later. Consider also, whether you want to shoot the gun or just collect it.

Here is a list of things to look for:

Look for abuse on the outside that is not the same as wear from hard use. Sweaty hands will eat away the bluing on the barrels and the finish on the action. Checkering will wear and become very smooth. The wood will get surface scratches and minor dents. But these things can be restored professionally to be like new.

The next thing I would look over in a rifle is the bore. Worn out and pitted rifle bores and chambers can’t be restored. If in doubt, ask for permission to fire a few shots to see what kind of a group you will get. The same goes for shotgun bores with deep pitting, bulges and severe dents. A good barrel maker can do a lot but is limited by the wall thickness that must be retained. Also look into the shotgun bores from the muzzle. If you don’t see any choke constriction, the barrels may have been cut off. If the chokes are very tight, you may want to have them measured and opened up for modern shells.

I would now remove the fore-end, hold the gun by the grip and shake it up and down and sideways. If you pay close attention, you will feel the slightest looseness. And don’t be surprised if you feel it only sideways. With the barrel lumps between the side-by-side barrels, the pressure of the shot wants to force the right barrel to the left and the left barrel to the right. An experienced gunsmith will confirm that looseness of the action starts this way on most guns. This, by the way, will happen on the very best guns eventually, but actions can be tightened up. Just allow for this expense in your

decision.

Next I would study the proof marks, remembering the article and proof mark directory you will find in Chapter. After letting the hammers down, I would remove the fore-end and take off the barrels to take a look at the firing pin holes in the action. Erosion around these holes could indicate

that reloads or overloads were used. Inspect the firing pins to see that they have the proper protrusion and are not damaged in any way. New firing pins can most certainly be made, but it must be said at this point that most firing pins on the German breech loading guns are fragile and the gun should not be dry fired without having firing pin protectors (snap caps) in the chambers. They are available for just about any caliber and having a set in every gun will allow you to store the gun with the hammers down.

Now it is time to look at the stock and the fore-end, the most vulnerable parts since they are made from wood that is softer than steel and subject to the weather. Check them for chips, cracks and looseness. If very loose, the stock may have cracked on the inside. Find a good stock maker to do the repairs. With skill and modern materials like epoxies and fiberglass, the repairs will be stronger than the original stock and will not show. Stock refinishing will be covered in another article.

The barrels of the gun you are inspecting may have scope bases, but the scope is no longer with it. These bases are usually for German claw mount rings that are covered in another article. Some German Drillings have the bad habit of miss firing, especially the rifle barrel. This can be caused by a gummed up mechanism; a good strip cleaning might remedy this. At other times the V-spring is weak or cracked and must be replaced, but firing pins for the rifle barrel often hit the primer in a steep angle and lack enough force. This can aggravate even a good gunsmith. Cartridges with softer primers might solve the problem.

Horn butt plates and grip caps can be repaired, recoil pads can be installed, stocks can be bent and all these jobs run into some money but a new stock is really a high-ticket item. When the whole fore-end is missing, you are in for a high expense and long wait if you can even find a gunsmith

willing to tackle making a replacement. I always wondered why so many fore-ends got lost until a German gun retailer told me that they removed all fore-ends before the American troops took away all the guns at the end of Word War II.

The smart buyer knows what he is getting into, what he can live with or what it might cost to fix what he can’t live with, and accept that some horse-trading part of the experience!

Gunsmithing Supplies

Gunsmith Supplies – Gun Parts – Gun Accessories

 

Brownells                               Gunsmithing tools, parts, accessories

200 South Front Street        

Montezuma, 50171 IA

800-741-0015  Fax 800-264-3068

International 641-623-4000

www.brownells.com               

 

Chamber casting metal
Dixie Gun Works, Inc.          Muzzle Loader and Hammer Gun kits, parts, accessories, supplies.

     Box 130, Gunpowder Lane

     Info: 731-885-0700    Orders: 800-238-6785 Fax: 731-885-0440

 

Union City, TN 38281

Catalog #152, 728 pages, $5.00

 

Bill Loos                                         Schützenrifle sights, parts & gunsmithing:

295 Lake Breeze Park,                    Custom fitte rear sights around $425.

Rochester, NY 14622                        Bullet Molds for casting 8.15x46R and 9.5x47R Bullets $105.

wjl55@frontiernet.net                     Te. 585-544-1027          

Gunsmiths

Gunsmiths who work on German guns:

Specialty

 

Custom-Craft LTD                              Tel. 203-748-1830                             Stock work

Abe Chaber                                          E-mail: abechaber@aol.com            V Springs

40 Fairmouint Drive

Danbury, CT 06811

 

Dutchman Wood Works                    Tel. 716-741-3739                              Reproduction buttplates

Larry B. Schuknecht shoptalk@dutchmanwoodworks.com Fax: 716-741-2335    General Gunsmithing

7750 Salt Road                              <dutchmanwoodworks.com>           Horn trigger guards & buttplates

Clarence Center, NY 14032     .        Member of the GGCA                        German Claw Mounts

 

Kirk Merrington                                   Tel. 830-367-2937                              All shotgun barrel work

207 Sierra Road                                   Fax 830-367-2950                              Sleeving in new shotgun barrels

Kerville, TX 78028

 

New England Custom Guns Ltd.     Tel.603-287-4836                               German Claw Mounts, Jaeger Side Mounts

741 Main Street                                                                                               Schmidt & Bender Scopes, Recoil Pads

Claremont, NH 03743                                                                                 Metric Ammunition, 2 ½” Shells, Sights,

Member of the GGCA                        Web-site: <newenglandcustomgun.com>     Scope reconditioning, EAW Mounts

 

Doug Turnbull Restorations, Inc.     Tel. 585-657-6338                              Complete restoration of firearms, including

6680 Rt.5 & 20, P.O. Box 471          Fax  585-657-7743                             case color hardening, cold rust bluing and

Bloomfield, NY 14469                       info@turnbullrestoration.com          browning.

Although specialties are listed, most of them will also do other gunsmithing.

 

Magazines

 

Metric Ammunition

New England Custom Gun Service

741 Main Street  Claremont NH  03743

603-287-4836  email: info@necgltd.com

Newenglandcustomgun.com

 

German RWS Ammunition

In stock while supplies last.                                        Price is per box of 20 cartridges.

   Item                 Cartridge                   Bullet                   Bullet             Price / Box

Number                 Name                  Designation           in Grains

2116375          .22 HORNET                KTMS                        46                  $39.99

2116448          5,6X50 R MAG             TMS                            55                  $56.99

2116715          5,6X57                           KS                              74                   $92.99

2116863          5,6X52 R                       TMS                            71                  $89.99

2116871          .243 WIN                       TMS                         100                  $59.99

2116995           6,5X55                          DK                            140                  $74.99

2117002           6,5X55                          KS                             127                 $64.99

2117096           6,5X57                           KS                            127                 $77.99

2117118           6,5X57 R                       DK                           140                  $86.99

2117185           6,5X68                          TMS                            93                 $99.99

2117215           6,5X68                          KS                             127                 $94.99

2117290           270 WIN                       HMK                         130                 $84.99

2315972           270 WIN                       EVO                          154                 $92.99

2117541           7X64                             TMR                          173                 $63.99

2117592           7X65 R                          HMK                         173                 $87.99

2315432           7X65 R                          EVO                          159                 $92.99

2315830           308 WIN                       BION YELLOW       154                 $77.99

2315435           30-06                             EVO                          184                 $74.99

2315781           30-06                             BION YELLOW       154                 $83.99

2117835           30 R BLASER              UNI                            181                 $91.99

2117843           30 R BLASER              KS                              201                 $85.99

2316140           30 R BLASER              EVO                           184                 $96.99

2315433           300 WIN MAG             EVO                           184                $94.99

2315741           300 WSM                      EVO                           184                $102.99

2117894           30 R BLASER              DK                              165                $86.99

2118114           8X68 S                          HMK                          187                $94.99

2118122           8X68 S                          KS                               224               $97.99

2118149           8X68 S                          KS                               181               $97.99

2123517           8X68 S                          DK                              185               $99.99

2316522           8X68 S                          EVO                            201               $106.99

2118165           9,3X62                          DK                               225               $85.99

2118173           9,3X64                          DK                               225               $87.99

2118203           9,3X62                          HMK                           258               $93.99

2118211           9,3X62                          TMR                            286               $85.99

2118270           9,3X74 R                       TMR                           286                $87.99

2118297           9,3X74 R                       KS                               250               $87.99

2118327           10,3X60 R                     KS                               253               $80.99

2316530            7MM REM MAG        EVO                            159                $108.99

2118548            7X57 R                         KS                               162               $66.99

2118564            7X57 R                         ID                                162               $85.99

2119226             8X57 JS                       ID                                198               $73.99

2119234             8X57 JRS                    ID                                 198              $84.99

2315437             9,3X74 R                     EVO                             290              $105.99

2119331             404                              TM WOODLEIGH      400               $139.99

2119358             404                              VM WOODLEIGH      400               $139.99